From Sorrow to Joy

Oh what a long road it seems to be from the land of sorrow to the land of joy! While we are dwelling in the land of sorrow we can't even imagine the land of joy. It seems like a cloudy memory in days gone by; a land where we feel we will never dwell again. Our sorrow is all consuming and there seems to be no end in sight. But memory serves us well and we can remember, if we try very hard, a time of joy. A time where no darkness or sorrow ever lived. Its there, in our memory. 

When we find ourselves surrounded on all sides by the darkness of sorrow we can find hope, even if it is just a glimmer, of better times to come. A time where we will once more experience joy. It doesn't seem possible but time marches on and we know that all of our days will not be filled with sorrow. We know that just as the sun rises each morning and sets each night, that someday we will find ourselves living in the land of joy . Oh, we might wear a few more battle scars from being in the land of sorrow, but we will still experience joy once more. 

How do we ever find the way out of the land of sorrow? We can try to find the way out on our own but we will stumble and get lost and confused. Some do find their way out and enter the land of joy but most don't. Most can't find the way out. They don't know how to go on; how to find joy again. If we want to find our way out we need to put our hope and our trust in the Lord. We need to ask Him to bring us to joy once more. 

To live in the land of joy after living for so long in the land of sorrow is nothing to feel guilty about. God "will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."(Rev. 21:4) Only God can do the impossible. Only God can bring you joy once again. When we are living in the land of sorrow we pray and ask God to make things better and we should do that. But sometimes once we find ourselves in the land of joy we forget to still pray and keep God as part of our life. Let me encourage you to seek God and ask Him to bring you to joy once again. He will, because He loves you and He has promised to forever. 

They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
    they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord—...
They will be like a well-watered garden,
    and they will sorrow no more.
¹³ Then young women will dance and be glad,
    young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
    I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. (Jeremiah 31:12-13)